Major END in Africa Project Activities and Accomplishments

With support from the END in Africa project, Togo obtained WHO approval of national dossier verifying the elimination of lymphatic filariasis (LF) as a public health problem. Togo is the first sub-Saharan African country to have achieved this global target, established by the 50th World Health Assembly.

Lymphatic filariasis (LF) transmission has stopped in 55.9% of the health districts that previously suffered from LF across all six END in Africa countries.

Trachoma transmission has stopped in 69.8% LF-of the health districts that previously suffered from trachoma across all six END in Africa countries.

Supported all six END in Africa countries in delivering mass drug administration (MDA) for schistosomiasis (SCH), LF, soil-transmitted helminthiasis (STH), onchocerciasis, and trachoma.

Conducted numerous disease specific assessments (DSAs) in the six END in Africa countries, including transmission assessment surveys (TAS) and pre-TAS for LF; epidemiological (epi) and entomological (ento) surveys for onchocerciasis; trachoma surveillance and impact assessment surveys; and sentinel site surveys for SCH and STH.

Support and provision of technical assistance for national NTD control program (NTDCP) monitoring and evaluation (M&E) activities, such as completing World Health Organization (WHO) surveys, developing country work plans, and compiling, assessing, reporting and interpreting mass drug administration (MDA) data. END in Africa staff have also trained NTDCPs on the new program workbooks and in collaboration with Envision program partner RTI, reviewed and streamlined the quality of the data captured.

Support for countries in developing projections of future NTD drug needs, drug procurement and creating capacity building plans for improving drug supply chain management (SCM), national NTD program financial performance, monitoring and evaluation, social mobilization, and other activities. END in Africa has also provided technical assistance for improving SCM and support for customs clearance of drug imports.

With project partner Deloitte, published the Sustainability Framework Handbook to help NTDP teams plan for the trajectory of their programs as they work towards their elimination and control targets and later, transition to a post-elimination environment, as well as conducted financial sampling of NTD country program MDA expenditures.

According to currently available data, the END in Africa project provided more than 464 million NTD treatments to over 221 million people in Burkina Faso, Cote d’Ivoire, Ghana, Niger, Sierra Leone, and Togo.